What Have You Done?
by Saya Moonshadow
Summary: "Don't make me do this," she begged, leveling her blades at him. He sneered back, his now-green eyes narrowing even more. "Do your best, my friend." Web of Shadows final battle, rewritten. VakamaNokama oneshot.


**Anyone ever heard of Within Temptation? They're a Dutch symphonic metal band, kind of like Evanescence but slightly...uh, darker, I guess you could say. The singer's voice is absolutely beautiful, you should definitely check them out sometime if you haven't already.**

**For some reason, **_**Web of Shadows**_** reminded me of this song when me and my brothers were watching it today. Um...VakamaNokama? Yes! Yes, it is. XD Please excuse my odd pairing fix. I can't help it. TT-TT**

**Note: Several things will be different in my retelling. You may or may not like it, I'm afraid. I'm just letting my imagination run wild, here. Either way, I hope you enjoy this and appreciate the effort I put into writing it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Bionicle**_**, or any of the mentioned characters. "What Have You Done?" belongs to Within Temptation feat. Keith Caputo.**

**Summary: "Don't make me do this." she begged, leveling her blades at him. He sneered back, his now-green eyes narrowing even more. "Do your best, my friend." A rewrite of the Visorak battle of Web of Shadows, this time focusing on Nokama. My take on what would have happened if Nokama were the one to fight Vakama instead of Matau.**

**What Have You Done?**

**By: Saya Moonshadow**

**Beta: Zanda Waffle 07**

_Would you mind if I hurt you?   
Understand that I need to?   
Wish that I had other choices   
Than to hurt the one I love._

Two armies stood armed that hot summer afternoon, both readying to battle to the death. The king of the larger of the two surveyed his forces from the balcony of the building once known as the Coliseum, his red eyes narrowed. He tapped a foot impatiently, attracting the attention of his two companions.

"They're not showing." he snarled, fingers tightening on the balcony railing. The taller of the other two, a Xian woman named Roodaka, rolled her eyes, and pasted on a smile. "They will show, Sidorak." she said sweetly. "Vakama here has made sure of that. They come for _him_, after all."

The red Hordika called Vakama snorted, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Tch. If they're brave enough, that is."

Roodaka chuckled, admiring his bravado. "Hm, they will. They are your friends--"

"They were _never_ my friends." Vakama snarled, green eyes blazing. She shook her head, smiling. "My mistake. Your...former comrades, then. They _are_ your former comrades, Vakama. Why wouldn't they want to rescue you?"

The red Hordika gave her a dull stare and turned back to the setting sun. Sidorak frowned. His protégé was being awfully surly today; well, he was surly all the time, but this was new. Snapping at Roodaka? Correcting her? And she hadn't done a thing about it, either. Something was definitely wrong. Sidorak knew he was nowhere near as smart as his fiancée, but he did have a head on his shoulders. And he knew how to use it, too. He'd have to keep an eye on them.

"If they know what's good for them, they will show up." he muttered, scanning the ground for any sign of Vakama's former team. "What shall we do with them when they get here, Roodaka?"

"Fight them, of course." Roodaka gave him an odd look. "What else would we do? Sit them down to have harakeke tea?"

Sidorak rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I'm asking what we should do when we defeat them. You know, have them killed, tortured, forced into slavery..." He saw Vakama's slight twitch out of the corner of his eye, but continued. Let the boy know what they would do to his friends. It would only serve to remind him who was boss around here. "I'm more in favor of the last one. We could use their powers."

Roodaka tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Interesting, my king. But I'd say torture them." Her blue eyes narrowed hatefully. "I don't care what you do to the males, but the female is mine to do with as I see fit. I want to be the one to handle her." She looked pointedly at Vakama, who had whirled around, eyes blazing. "Am I...understood, Vakama?"

Shaking with barely suppressed rage, Vakama managed to bite out, voice an octave lower than usual, "Yes...my..._queen_."

"Hm, that's right, you had a special bond with the female, didn't you?" Sidorak frowned, turning to face him. "One of the Boggarak told me that you apologized to her for failing your team again. Tell me, Vakama, what exactly _does_ she mean to you?"

The former Toa of Fire was silent for a long moment, and Sidorak almost thought he'd gone to sleep. "Vakama? Answer me."

"She...she means nothing to me." Vakama murmured slowly. "Absolutely nothing. Maybe she did before, but not now."

Sidorak smiled. "Good." Both he and Roodaka turned back to face the setting sun and the anxiously waiting Visorak horde.

_She __**doesn't**__ mean anything._ Vakama told himself angrily. _She's nothing to me._

Somehow, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that.

_What have you done now?_

X x X

"We're almost ready." Onewa said, glancing back at the once-gleaming Coliseum, covered with Visorak webs. "Just waiting for you to give the word, Norik. Any day now would be nice."

Norik chuckled, folding his wings behind him serenely. "No worries, Onewa - we merely wait for night to come. The element of surprise is a valuable one."

Onewa blinked. "It won't be a surprise if they're waiting for us, Rahaga."

"Oh, but it will. By waiting this long, we lull them into a false sense of security." The red Rahaga chuckled again. "You're not the only one with something to save, Hordika of Stone - I have my five friends to worry about as well."

Almost immediately, the brown Hordika felt ashamed. "Sorry, Norik. I, uh, kinda forgot about that." he said lamely, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just, finding Keetongu and havin' such a good chance to rescue Vakama...I dunno, I just kinda...forgot."

"It's alright." Norik smiled. "I understand that Vakama is very important to you."

Onewa nodded. "You have no idea. I used ta think he was just a fire-spitter that needed t'have his head checked, but 'e's my brother. And he's gotten us outta some bad spots b'fore."

He brightened considerably, as the suns had just slipped behind the ocean, bathing the island in darkness. Let the Visorak wait. Let them stew and go nuts with anticipation. The Toa Hordika wouldn't come until they were darn good and ready.

Soon, the other Hordika had gathered around, each one looking grave and grim. Onewa blanched. He hadn't expected them to be this...ready-to-go-die. They were supposed to win! And believing they would win was a huge part of it. He was a good enough strategist to understand that. "Alright, guys, once Keetongu gets back, Norik says we'll be takin' off fer the Coliseum. We all ready fer this?"

Nuju and Whenua nodded, as did Matau. Not to Onewa's surprise, Nokama's gaze remained on the ground, blue eyes downcast. She looked so forlorn, it was unbearable. But then she raised her head, and her eyes shone with fire to rival the Great Furnace. "I want to fight Vakama."

Silence greeted her words. "...sister, do you understand what you're saying?" Nuju asked, watching her incredulously. "You're wanting to take him on...alone?!"

Nokama nodded. "I want to be the one to fight Vakama. Leave him to me."

Onewa shifted uncomfortably. "Are you sure? He's a lot stronger than 'e was b'fore, Nokama. He'd have no worries 'bout killin' you now, you know that, right?"

The female glared at him. "I understand that perfectly, Onewa. And that's why I want you to promise me that you will _all_ leave him to me."

"But--"

"Promise me!"

She was desperate now, he could see. This must have been affecting her more than he, or anyone else, had initially thought. It had to be hard for her, seeing her best friend like this. "Promise me!" she pleaded, and he was afraid she would actually get down on her knees to beg him.

"Alright, alright!" he cried, anything to make her stop. "Y'can fight him!"

"But he'll kill her!" Matau protested, speaking for the first time. "_I_ should be the one to handle Vakama."

"But you're not." Onewa sighed. "If...if anything happens though, we're coming to help." he added, seeing Nokama smile. She nodded, smile never leaving her face. "Alright."

Before anything else could be said, Keetongu marched up, his huge feet making marks on the ground. He said something that, as usual, nobody except for Norik could understand. The red Rahaga nodded, listening. "Yes. We are ready for anything."

He turned back to the group of Toa, face now as grave as any of theirs. "Time to move out, guys. This is our only chance, so give it your all."

Nokama's fist tightened. "We will."

_Vakama,_ she thought as she fell into step behind Whenua, _Don't think we'll just let you go. You better be prepared for one heck of an eternity with me, because we __**are**__ bringing you back tonight! I swear it._

X x X

_I know I better stop trying   
You know that there's no denying   
I won't show mercy on you now._

All Vakama could really hear was the random chitterings of the Visorak. He sighed impatiently, wishing that the other Toa Hordika would just hurry up and come fight so he could defeat them already. All except Nokama. She had to stay away, otherwise Roodaka would...

Wait a minute, why the heck did he even care? She could go and die for all he cared! It wasn't like he felt anything for her, after all. Not anymore, anyway. Not after what had happened to him. And he swore to whatever god might be up there, they would all pay for the pain he had felt.

_I don't care._ he snarled mentally. _They can all burn._

"My King, they approach." Roodaka murmured, looking positively thrilled. "Soon you can have them for yourself. What should we do with the Rahaga, though? He comes as well - to rescue his comrades. Pity we didn't capture him as well when we had the chance." She glanced at Vakama coldly. If it weren't for him leaving Norik behind at the Great Temple, the red Rahaga would be hanging there under the balcony in chains along with his friends. She heard Kualus's high-pitched, obviously angry, whistling, and pushed back a chuckle.

"Oh, him? Kill him. Eat him. Throw him in the dungeons. I don't care." Sidorak said, waving a hand dismissively. He bent over the railing, an eager expression on his face. "They'll be torn apart anyway. The Visorak don't do half jobs."

"They managed to defeat the Zivon." Roodaka pointed out.

He shrugged. "That was with the help of a Tahtorak and that blasted shapeshifter. There's no one else on this island that they could enlist the help of. No one strong enough, anyway."

X x X

Keetongu peered around the corner of the Coliseum, then turned his one red eye to Norik and spoke. Norik nodded, bowing respectfully. "I understand. We go in ahead while you deal with Sidorak and Roodaka yourself."

The healing Rahi grunted, and set about making his way around the building, presumably to find a good place to start climbing up to meet the King of the Visorak. Looking thoughtful, Norik returned his attention to the five assembled Toa Hordika. "Now then," he said, "For the love of Mata Nui, be _careful_. The Visorak are nothing to be underestimated, as you have seen several times before. We're dealing with the entire horde this time. And we have about half of the force we had before."

All of them shifted uncomfortably, except Nokama, he noticed. Nokama stayed firm, hands clenched into tight fists. Norik was glad, either way, that he was not the one that would be on the receiving end of her wrath. If looks could kill...

Heck, if looks could kill, about half of the Visorak in there would be dead right now. That glare was positively venomous. The former Toa of Water squared her jaw and walked proudly into the Coliseum, followed by her teammates.

"VAKAMA!" she shouted.

Up on the balcony, Vakama stiffened. "N...Nokama?" he muttered, bending over as far as he dared to catch a glimpse of the owner of the voice that had just called his name. As he'd suspected - almost _hoped_ - it was Nokama. Against his will, his heart skipped a beat.

"Vakama, get away from the railing." Sidorak snapped. Growling angrily, Vakama did as he was told, and crouched, looking for all the world like an angered Rahi. In a way, he was, Sidorak reminded himself. Half Rahi, these Hordika were.

Unfortunately, before he could give orders, the female voice that had yelled before started up again. "VAKAMA METRU, GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME!"

Roodaka's eyes narrowed. "It's her!" she hissed. She looked at Sidorak, but he shook his head. "Not yet, my dear." he said, focused on the now battling Visorak and Toa Hordika. "Wait a bit. In the meantime, Vakama, why don't you let them know the...gravity of the situation that they're in?"

Vakama, although something inside him was screaming for him to get down there and be the hero he had never wanted to be, leaped forward onto the beam right below the balcony. One clawed finger pointed, he shouted, "You've made a grave mistake coming here today!"

"We came here to save you!" Whenua shouted back, green eyes narrowed.

"The only ones you can save now are yourselves." Vakama snarled, the beast inside him itching to tear them all apart. Show them who was boss. Assert his authority.

Sometimes, Vakama was sure whatever beast was inside of him must be a pack animal, probably a Hikaki dragon. The Hikaki were generally reclusive, living in the hotter areas of Ta-Metru, but when angered...you didn't mess with them. The alpha male was especially vicious, even when not angry. It was hard to keep the position, after all. The alphas were characterized by the intricate chest plates they had, and the crest on the tops of their heads. The chest plate was reminiscent of the one he himself wore.

Time to show this lower one that he shouldn't mess with the leader of _this_ pack.

"Bow down!" he shouted, why didn't he want to say this? It didn't make any sense! "And pledge your allegiance to me!"

Behind him, Sidorak coughed.

Vakama rolled his eyes, but added, "And...and to Sidorak!"

It was Onewa's turn to step forward and put in his two cents. "And when we don't?"

His anger sparked, Vakama did the first thing he could think of. He reached forward and, with one arm, ripped one of the steel beams off the rafters where he was balancing. "THEN I WILL _MAKE_ YOU!"

The steel beam, now a steel spear, hit the ground right in front of the brown Hordika's feet as the Visorak charged. Nokama didn't wait for them to come to her. She charged straight into them, Rhotuka spinner on her back flying up and firing blasts randomly. It hit several Visorak, knocking them back, but she wasn't looking at them.

_I know I should stop believing   
I know that there's no retrieving   
It's over now   
What have you done?_

The only one she wanted to fight was currently staring down at her with cold green eyes, so different from the gentle yellow ones she was used to. She hated those eyes. They promised nothing but pain and loneliness, suffering beyond all belief. The old eyes were the ones she wanted to see more than anything. Instead of infinite pain, they promised a way out; where there's a will, there's a way. Those eyes said, _I'll do my best._

Her Fin Barb could be used as a grappling hook, she remembered. She swung it up, catching ahold of one of the lower rafters and used it pull herself up. Only about three more to go till she reached Vakama. And then, the _real_ battle would commence.

It was just a matter of who gave in first. She would _not_ be that one. She would make him come to his senses whether he liked it or not, by Mata Nui!

"Vakama!" she began, pulling herself up to his level, "Please! Come back!"

His only answer was a glare. "No."

"Don't make me do this." she begged, leveling her blades at him. He sneered back, his now-green eyes narrowing even more. "Do your best, my friend."

"You can't call me that." Nokama snapped, crouching into a battle stance, "Only the _real_ Vakama can call me _friend_."

She wasn't sure, but she might have seen a flash of pain cross his eyes before they narrowed again. "I don't care what you want or have to say, Nokama. I can't, and won't, go back. That life is _over_. Just accept it." He turned to leave, shoulders slumped.

And was promptly hit in the back with a huge blast of water. Vakama turned back to face his former friend, eyes an inferno of rage. Nokama panted slightly, but looked slightly pleased with herself. "Fight me." she said. "If you win, I'll let you go. If you lose, you go back with me."

"If I win, you'll die." he snapped back. "Are you--" He stopped.

_"I don't care what you do to the males, but the female is mine to do with as I see fit. I want to be the one to handle her." She looked pointedly at Vakama, who had whirled around, eyes blazing. "Am I...understood, Vakama?"_

_Shaking with barely suppressed rage, Vakama managed to bite out, voice an octave lower than usual, "Yes...my...__**queen**__."_

_"Hm, that's right, you had a special bond with the female, didn't you?" Sidorak frowned, turning to face him. "One of the Boggarak told me that you apologized to her for failing your team again. Tell me, Vakama, what exactly __**does**__ she mean to you?"_

_The former Toa of Fire was silent for a long moment, and Sidorak almost thought he'd gone to sleep. "Vakama? Answer me."_

_"She...she means nothing to me." Vakama murmured slowly. "Absolutely nothing. Maybe she did before, but not now."_

_Sidorak smiled. "Good." Both he and Roodaka turned back to face the setting sun and the anxiously waiting Visorak horde._

_She __**doesn't**__ mean anything. Vakama told himself angrily. She's nothing to me._

_Somehow, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that._

"Vakama?"

The sound of his former best friend's voice snapped him out of his daze immediately, and he shook his head. "Just...just leave!" he shouted, brandishing his Blazer Claw at her. "LEAVE!"

_What have you done now?_

"Like heck I will!"

She lunged at him, Fin Barb shooting out to coil around his outstretched right arm. With an angry growl, he tugged on it, sending her off balance. She regained it by whirling around and attempting to ram her foot into his chest, but once again he dodged it, although she surprised him by using the Fin Barb again. This time, it got both arms, and he had to work to maintain balance on the rafters.

"I told you." Nokama said from her position about five feet away, stiff with anxiety, "You're coming back with me."

"In your dreams." he snarled, and focused his fire power into his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he blew a steady stream of fire at her, quick as lightning. Nokama managed to get out of the way, but was forced to retract her Fin Barb. The wire didn't stretch _that_ far, unfortunately.

Up above them, Roodaka was getting angry. "He's fighting her!" she hissed at Sidorak. "_I'm_ supposed to be the one fighting her!" She wrinkled her nose. "And what's that clanging noise?! It's been going on since before this battle started!"

Sidorak peered over the edge of the balcony, ignoring the flashes from the two Hordika battling it out in front of him, and froze. "R-Roodaka!" he gasped hoarsely. Roodaka hurried to his side and grimaced upon seeing what was coming up to them.

"It's Keetongu." she said grimly. "Presumably come here to assist the Toa."

"I don't care what it's here for!" Sidorak snapped. "Get rid of it!"

She smirked. "With pleasure." Leveling her weapon at the climbing creature, she shot one blast at the beast, which it dodged. But this was nothing. Roodaka of Xia hadn't gotten to be the Viceroy of the Visorak for nothing. Taking careful aim now, she shot one more blast.

This one hit dead on.

Keetongu plummeted to the ground with a single roar.

Over on the rafters, dodging Vakama's barrage of Rhotuka, Nokama chanced a glance down and gasped. "Keetongu!" she cried, tempted to go down to aid him. But one more Rhotuka blast put an end to that.

"You're not going anywhere." Vakama snarled at her, sounding more like an animal than a Toa. "You wanted to fight me so bad, well here I am. So fight me." He didn't want her to leave. The last sense of normalcy he would ever have was coming from having her this close to him again, and he wasn't about to have it shortened in any way, shape, or form.

Shaking her head despairingly, Nokama tried words one more time. "Vakama...please...come back."

"I already told you. No."

"I know we're not the greatest friends in the world..." she continued, seemingly not hearing him, "but we are your friends regardless. And...we've said some bad things to you in the past...the recent past..."

_She never said anything. _Vakama's conscience told him. _She was defending you to the rest of them. She was the only one to..._

"...but friends forgive each other!"

_She always forgives you for everything._

"And as much as you hate to admit it, you must miss us. We miss you, Vakama. _I_ miss you."

_She misses...me?_

"Vakama..." she whispered, "do you have anyone special to you?"

_Beauty wasn't measured by how good a person looked, no matter what Matau or anyone else said. He knew that. But although that was hammered down in steel in his head, he couldn't seem to look anywhere else but her._

_Why? What had he been doing before? Oh, right, keeping watch...instead of keeping watch while the Kikanalo rested for the night, he was staring at Nokama. Great job, he told himself sarcastically. They're counting on you to keep them safe, and the best you're capable of is staring in one spot. Brilliant._

_She was special. He always found himself standing near her somehow, smiling at her. Talking to her. Was it so bad to have someone be special to you?_

_Apparently it was. She was a distraction, but a distraction he couldn't get himself to mind._

_Protect her? Always. No harm would come to her as long as he was around, he vowed._

"I did." Vakama replied. "But that was a long time ago." Before she could say anything else, he shot a barrage of fire from his Blazer Claw at her. She brought up her arms to block it, and flew back, almost falling to the ground below. She grimaced painfully, resisting the urge to inspect her wounds. Her forearms were badly burnt, that much was obvious. Could she still use her water powers? She hadn't practiced much with those; it had been the Rhotuka launchers that Norik had had them practice with. And their respective tools. But if Vakama could still use his fire powers, then by Mata Nui, she could use her water powers.

With a huge burst of effort, she sent a blast of pure water at him. He responded by sending another thing of fire out, meeting her water midair and causing the two attacks to negate. Steam billowed out from where they had met, obscuring both of their visions.

More fire swirled in Vakama's right hand, while water was concentrated in Nokama's, emitting a sound like the crashing of waves on the beach. The wielders of these powers stared at each other through the steam as though calculating the next move.

Meanwhile, Sidorak was still watching their battle. "He's...hesitating?" he asked incredulously, ignoring the yelps of pain coming from the green Hordika below as the battle continued. "All over this girl?"

"No matter what he has said, she is still too precious to him. Which is why we have to get rid of her." Roodaka said, narrowing her blue eyes. She glanced down at the crater that Keetongu had created when the massive Rahi had fallen, and the original plan came back to her mind. That's right, she was supposed to get rid of him in this battle! That way, she could be undisputed queen of the Visorak. She smirked slyly.

"Well, my king, why don't we go see if our other..._guest_ is still alive, hm?"

Sidorak scoffed. "Keetongu's dead, Roodaka. What else would it be?"

Roodaka smiled. "Well, just to make sure, my king. After all, what kind of king are you if you don't at least check on it? If he's not, you and I can _easily_ make sure of it. _Very_ easily."

He looked uneasy for a second, and she was hard put not to smirk again. How easily this man was manipulated. It was absolutely hilarious. "I...well, alright, when you put it _that_ way..." he mumbled, and began to stride off for the lower levels. "Vakama can handle things here, I'm sure." Upon hearing the pained cry from the blue Hordika as she had no choice but to shield herself with her arms from the flames again, he was more than sure.

So was Roodaka, apparently. "Of course. And when we get done down there, I'll take over for him." The smirk crossed her face again. "We won't have to worry about her, Sidorak. She can try all she likes for the few minutes she has left of life, but when I get back up here, Vakama will belong to the horde forever."

Sidorak chuckled as the two Hordika lunged again, their powers now on either arm. "Yes, I agree. Carry on."

_I, I've been waiting for someone like you   
But now you are slipping away   
(What have you done now?)   
Why, why does fate make us suffer?   
There's a curse between us   
Between me and you._

X x X

"UN!" Nokama couldn't help it, she cried out. It _hurt_, having your arms continually burned like this. As a precaution, she had encased her arms in water, almost like a giant whip on either arm, but she knew it wouldn't last. She wasn't used to controlling her powers in this Rahi-like state; it was taking up more energy than she had in reserves.

Fortunately, Vakama was beginning to look tired as well. How long had they been going at it now? Half an hour? Either way, that was a long time. She snorted determinedly. _He __**is**__ coming back with us - I am __**not**__ giving up so easily, Vakama!_

She struck out with her "water whips", only to have Vakama do the same. The effect was the same as well; just lots of steam being thrown out, as well as having their powers rebound a bit.

_Why doesn't she just give up?!_ Vakama's mind screamed. She's going to get hurt if she keeps this up! He shouldn't have cared that much. But for some reason, he couldn't shake her words from before off.

_"Vakama..." she whispered, "do you have anyone special to you?"_

Yes, yes he did. Wait, no, no he didn't. Not anymore.

_Liar._ his conscience sneered. _You still care. She's still special._

"I don't want to hurt you!" she cried, striking out at him again, only this time, her water whip curled around his arm, extinguishing his fire whip and holding him in place. "Don't make me do this!"

Vakama faltered, and she got a grip on his other arm as well.

"Please!" Nokama shouted, hoping, no, _pleading_ that this would work and he would come to his senses. "Come back to me!" She stopped for a minute, feeling her eyesight blurring a bit. She had to finish this quickly, or she was going to pass out. Not enough energy left to keep this up...

_What have you done?   
What have you done now?   
What have you done?   
What have you done now?_

X x X

"Is he dead?" Sidorak asked hesitantly, peering at the Rahi in the still-smoking crater. Roodaka shrugged. "Why don't you find out?"

"But what if he's not dead?" The Visorak King scuttled back from the "corpse" nervously. "If he's not--"

"If he's not, then make him be dead." Roodaka finished shortly, just as Keetongu gave a groan. Nearly hopping with excitement, Sidorak yelped, "Finish him!"

The Rahi was getting up, rising to his feet. And boy, did he look angry.

When nothing happened, the King looked behind him to see Roodaka standing there with her arms crossed and one foot tapping. "Do it yourself." she said, tossing him her weapon.

This wasn't good.

"But - but I can't do it by _myself_!" Sidorak cried, watching as Keetongu loomed over him, mouth twisted into an angry snarl.

Roodaka paused for one hopeful second.

"I know." she said and left him.

"R-Roodaka?!"

The next - and last - sound Sidorak made was a scream of pain and terror as Keetongu fell upon him.

Meanwhile, Roodaka was hurriedly climbing back into the elevator, eagerly awaiting the moment her hands would close around the pretty blue Hordika's neck. Make no mistake, this was _her_ day, and no one else's.

Vakama's stupid little emotions wouldn't get in the way of her dream. She didn't care what he did, as long as he didn't interfere. And he'd have no choice, and no one to bring him back into the "light", because she was going to make sure that Nokama Hordika didn't live to see another day.

_Would you mind if I killed you?   
Would you mind if I tried to?   
Because you have turned into my worst enemy   
You carry hate that I feel   
It's over now   
What have you done?_

X x X

Vakama couldn't move, and indeed, didn't _want_ to move. Once again, he was lost in the eyes that had captivated him from the very first meeting, and couldn't do a thing about it. Blue as the ocean, and twice as beautiful.

_Why can't I move?!_ he screamed at himself. _It's just __**her**__! MOVE!_

But his body simply refused to move while she kept her sapphire gaze locked with his.

"Did we really mean that little to you?" Nokama asked. Her eyes flashed at him, and he blanched. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry to know that we didn't mean anything." She smiled painfully, and he suddenly became aware of just how _tired_ the both of them were.

"You never _did_ mean anything to him." a cold voice above spoke. "Never did, and you'll never get the chance to."

Before either Hordika could react, a black hand closed around Nokama's throat from behind, yanking her away. Vakama fell to his knees, exhausted, as her water dissipated, leaving him saturated. He managed to raise his head high enough to see what was going on.

For a brief second, his eyes flashed yellow again.

"Roodaka!" he snarled, enraged, "Put. Her. Down. This is _my_ fight."

"Correction." Roodaka smiled. "This is _my_ fight now, Vakama. In case you were wondering, I _did_ just secure _King_ Sidorak a place in the land of the dead. And now I'm about to do the same to this girl here once I drain her of her powers. You don't have a problem with that..._right_?"

_What have you done now?_

_"Vakama...do you have anyone special to you?"_

_"Did we really mean that little to you? I'm sorry...I'm sorry to know that we didn't mean anything."_

She _did_ mean something to him. She meant _everything_ to him.

_What have I done?_

"I _do_ have a problem with that, Roodaka." he snarled, feeling his hackles rising dangerously. "Put her down _now_."

Roodaka sneered at him, and, instead of answering, turned tail and jumped back onto the balcony and higher, onto the roof itself. He couldn't tell if Nokama was even still conscious or not. He severely hoped she was. If she was, she could maybe fight back until he got there.

If she wasn't...he didn't want to think about that.

Nokama often had nightmares of the time the Toa Metru had been turned into Hordika. She could distinctly remember the crazed looks and the murderous intent. She could also remember Vakama's heart-wrenching screams when the venom had first manifested while being mutated. And the way he had shouted, "NOKAMA! HELP!" as he hung from the web by his foot, transforming before her very eyes.

_"I'm sorry I've failed you all...again."_

That was what he had said. Then the web had broken, dropping him down several hundred feet to the city below...only to be caught by Norik and the rest of the Rahaga. And the fight between him and Matau. She could understand where both were coming from (one angry about such a huge mistake, and one just wanting all the discrimination to end), but she couldn't help but wish that they would just get along for once.

_I, I've been waiting for someone like you   
But now you are slipping away   
(What have you done now?)   
Why, why does fate make us suffer?   
There's a curse between us   
Between me and you._

She was only vaguely aware of Roodaka's hand around her neck as the taller female dangled her above the Coliseum, ready to drop her at any moment. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), the Xian had something to say and do first.

"I can't just kill you yet." she hissed, her voice sending shivers down Nokama's spine. "I still need something from you. Your powers, Nokama. Your wonderful water powers that will set my Makuta free."

"N...no..." Nokama groaned painfully, struggling to stay awake. She couldn't breathe properly; the woman's hand was cutting off her oxygen!

"Yes." Roodaka snarled. She squeezed harder, smirking at the tiny cry of pain it produced. "Get your last look at your city, Nokama - after this, you're going to die." Her hand, clawed and practically shaking with excitement, hovered above the Hordika's heartlight, feeling the energy contained within. Severely weakened energy, but energy nonetheless. As depleted as this supply was from the recent battle, it would be enough to help her awaken Makuta again. And when she was done with this little upstart, she would start on the rest of the Toa Hordika. It really didn't matter if they lived or died - one was enough. Vakama was a good leader, he could do without them. Poor boy, he really didn't know how many favors she was doing him...

The sound of a charging Rhotuka spinner attracted her attention, and her hand faltered right above Nokama's heartlight and the source of her water power. She glared at the intruder.

"Vakama," she snarled, "Go away. _Now_."

Vakama merely sneered at her, his glowing Rhotuka aimed straight for her. She could see the vast amount of fire energy it contained and marveled at how much he still had in him, even after the lengthy battle with the female she held. Said female gasped. "V-Vakama...!" she whispered weakly.

"Put her down, Roodaka." he said dangerously, heart leaping at the way she said his name, with so much hope and joy, admiration, and all that. Everything he could hope for.

_You came!_ her eyes cried. But he couldn't focus on that right now. No matter how she looked at him, he still had a job to do.

His eyes were yellow again, Roodaka noticed with a jolt. No. This couldn't be! How could he have...

It was this female! She was the one to lead Vakama astray from the right path! A twisted grin worked over her mouth. Screw it. Screw it all. She could just as easily find another Water Toa, with more power than this one, to use in her plan. It didn't even matter that she would have to wait a little longer to free Makuta.

"Let her go." Vakama said again.

"Gladly." Roodaka replied, and dropped her.

The blue Hordika fell with a scream of terror. "VAKAMA!"

"NO!" he roared, dashing forward, everything else forgotten, but Roodaka's foot connected with his chest. The impact sent him hurling through the air, and he just managed to grab onto the edge of the roof so that he didn't fall off.

_What have you done?   
What have you done now?   
What have you done?   
What have you done now?_

Another roar, this time of pain, escaped his throat, as Roodaka's foot stomped down on his fingers, making one lose its grip. "You just couldn't listen, could you?" she growled, pressing harder. Her blue eyes were glinting with manic rage as she listened to him cry out. "You just couldn't follow orders, could you, Vakama? And see where it got you?" She stomped, and he had only two fingers left keeping him there.

"You and _all_ your friends will _die_ today!"

With a snarl, Vakama launched his still-charging Rhotuka spinner. She fell to the left to avoid it, and he was able to leap back up, sending a blast of pure fire into her. Then, forgetting all about her, he dashed over to where Nokama had fallen.

She was gone.

He slumped to the ground, completely devastated. She was gone, and it was all his fault. First Toa Lhikan, and now Nokama. And the rest of his team and the Rahaga if Roodaka had anything to say about things. His yellow eyes narrowed angrily. Time to show this..._woman_ what a Hikaki dragon alpha male could do.

"Nokama..." he muttered, staggering to his feet - he was exhausted - and preparing to charge at the still-cringing Xian woman ten feet away--

"Yes?"

He whirled around, impossible hope blooming in his chest. Nokama was...there?! And she wasn't alone, either. Matau grinned at him sheepishly from where he was climbing up onto the roof. "Hey there, fire-spitter."

Before Vakama could find a way to respond or ask the thousand questions darting about in his head, Roodaka had risen to her feet. "So it's come to this, then, Vakama?" she asked coldly, all traces of a smile gone from her face. Although she had left her tool back with Sidorak when she had left him to Keetongu, she was still a devastating warrior. She hadn't been the youngest Xian ever to climb the carnivorous mountain on her home island, after all. It took real talent to have come this far in such a short life. And Roodaka was very young - only about two thousand years old. Sidorak was only her third conquest, the first being her sap of a mountain climbing companion, Darakoo, and the second being her former fiancé, Voporak. Darakoo was dead now, the mountain's lunch. And Voporak...last she had heard, he was now an experiment of the Dark Hunters'.

Poor fools.

And these Toa Hordika were no better. They dared to mess with _her_, the mighty Roodaka of Xia! This would not be taken lightly.

And so, when Roodaka threw herself off the ledge, Vakama couldn't help but cry out. He and his two teammates ran over to the edge and watched as she swung herself on the webs down to the battle below. Knowing she would have some trouble with Onewa, Nuju, and Whenua, Vakama turned back to Matau and Nokama.

"How?" was all he said.

Once again, Matau grinned sheepishly at him. "I was worried about Nokama here," he said. "So I came to check on her, only t'find her free-fallin'! So I saved 'er, an' she started quick-babblin' about how she needed to get back up here an' help-save you. So here we are, the cavalry!"

Vakama's head was spinning. "You...came to help _me_?"

Matau frowned. "Of course!" he snapped, looking slightly hurt. "You're my brother, Vakama - an' brothers don't just turn their back on each other. I'll be called a frost-bite b'fore I let that happen again!"

Nokama placed one hand on Vakama's shoulder. "We have business to take care of." she reminded him. "And _you_ have a job to do." She held her fist out for him to clank his own against. "What do you say, Vakama?"

"C'mon, fire-spitter," Matau smiled, "You know you wanna lead us again." For good measure, he decided to use his best Hapaka puppy eyes.

For the first time in a long time, Vakama smiled, his once-again-yellow eyes glowing with the old fire. "I say, let's get a move on!" he exclaimed, clanking his fist to Nokama's. Matau whooped and did the same, and the three began to make their way back down to the battlefield.

"By the way," Matau yelled as they went, "you an' Nokama put up some fight - we could hear you guys battlin' it out from the Coliseum-ground!"

Nokama's blue eyes were focused on Roodaka's tall black form, advancing on Onewa, Nuju, Whenua, and the now-free (courtesy of Norik's quick actions) six Rahaga. "No time for that now, Matau - we have to get down there!"

_I will not fall   
Won't let it go   
We will be free   
When it ends._

X x X

Onewa sent a blast from his Rhotuka spinner at the Xian woman as she advanced on them, hitting her square in the chest. To his consternation, she did nothing but laugh. "Again!" she shouted, still laughing. Growling, Whenua also sent one at her, as did Nuju.

Aside from staggering a bit, Roodaka continued to laugh. Her body was becoming encased in an odd red light, originating from the weird red shard-thing acting as an ornament on her chest armor. "This isn't working," Onewa said frantically to his teammates. "Why tha heck's she _laughing_?!"

"Don't underestimate insanity," Nuju told him, focused on the madly cackling Xian in front of him. "You'll regret it, trust me."

"What do we do?" Whenua asked. "Where're Matau and Nokama?! Is Nokama even still alive?"

"Trust me, it's not Nokama I'm worried about." Onewa replied. "I'd be more worried 'bout Vak if I were you. I wonder how much of 'is armor she knocked off..."

"Three pieces." said a voice cheerfully behind them, "Maybe more, but that's all I counted."

They whirled around, bright smiles on all their faces. "Vakama!" Onewa cried, "You're alive! An' OK! An' yer not evil anymore!"

Vakama's smile didn't waver. "No, I'm not. You have these two to thank for that." He gestured to Matau and Nokama, the former of which grinned. "Nah, not me, all I did was save Nokama from becomin' Hordika-splatter. She already had the make-Vakama-good-again part covered by the time I got there." Almost as an afterthought, he shot his own powered-up Rhotuka launcher at the still laughing Xian, as did Nokama.

Now all that was left was Vakama.

From the air, keeping the Visorak at bay, Norik's eyes widened, then he smiled when he noticed the color of Vakama's eyes.

"You'll never go against me." Roodaka sneered. "Not when I have this horde--"

"They'll never go _with_ you, Roodaka." Vakama interrupted her. "They saw what you did to Sidorak, all of them. How could they not? You did it in such plain sight..." He straightened up, looking about him, and called in his most imperious voice, "VISORAK! GET OUT OF HERE!"

The Visorak all immediately stopped what they were doing, and stared, questioning. One Keelerak paused its almost-meal of Iriuni's leg, and the green Rahaga took the opportunity to hit it over the head with his staff, effectively breaking several of its teeth.

Vakama's smile grew bigger. "YOU'RE ALL FREE!" he shouted. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

And, almost like magic, the Visorak horde in its thousands was gone. In less than three minutes, ignoring Roodaka's shrieks for them to come back, they had all fled the scene. Not hide nor hair of them remained.

"And now all that remains..." the Fire Hordika's voice trailed off as his own Rhotuka launcher powered up. Behind him, Norik shouted, "NO! STOP, VAKAMA! VAKAMA!" but he paid no attention.

All that mattered was making sure this seductress never got the chance to wreak the havoc she had caused on Metru Nui ever again.

His Rhotuka launched, and hit Roodaka in the chest. The odd red energy surrounding her flashed as she fell, and before she could hit the ground, what seemed to be a huge hand made of black and red energy appeared as though out of nowhere and grabbed the unconscious Xian. Another flash, and both hand and Xian were gone.

X x X

"What have you done!" Norik cried, alighting in front of the red Hordika, "Do you have any idea what you've just done?!"

Vakama shrugged. "I took care of her." he replied.

Norik shook his head despairingly. "Not even! That shard on her armor was a piece of the Makuta's prison, Vakama! The six elements that trapped him can set him free!"

"So in other words, Makuta's free?" Whenua asked, looking slightly sick.

Before Norik could ran any further, Gaaki spoke up. "Yes, but that doesn't matter right now." she said gently. "He will be weak; too weak to cause any damage, anyway. Now, if you don't my saying so, don't you have someone else to talk to?" She gestured towards the huge form of Keetongu, resting some twenty feet away. Several scratches and burns covered his armor, but he otherwise looked just fine.

All six Toa Metru smiled, and said as one, "YES!"

_I, I've been waiting for someone like you  
But now you are slipping away   
(What have you done now?)   
Why, why does fate make us suffer?   
There's a curse between us   
Between me and you._

X x X

He couldn't believe it - he was a Toa Metru again! And so was the rest of his team. It was wonderful to be back, he reflected with a huge grin. And even better was the fact that no one - not even Matau - seemed to be angry at him anymore.

Still with a huge smile he was unable to get rid of on his face, Vakama set another Matoran canister down on the catwalk and watched as Keetongu carted several off by himself to their six large transports.

Instead of hearing his best friend's approach, he more or less saw it, and his smile widened. His heart gave the familiar skipping of several consecutive beats as she walked up to him, a smile rivaling his own on her face. She stopped some two feet away from him and stood there, simply staring at him. He stared back, unable to stop smiling.

"...you're back." Nokama said finally, looking up at him shyly.

Vakama nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am. And it's all thanks to you."

She grinned. "What can I say? You're important to me - to _all_ of us, Vakama. I wasn't about to let you just _leave_, you know."

His heart leapt again, but he managed to calm it...somewhat. "That's nice of you."

"I'd like to think so." Nokama turned as though to leave, then, stopped. The next thing Vakama knew, he was being tackled to the ground in a huge hug as she threw herself on him, clinging to him like a life line. "Don't ever leave again...OK?" she asked, raising herself onto her elbows and looking down at him.

Vakama laughed, and she almost thought he had gone completely crazy. "Never again!"

She grinned and got off of him, offering a hand to help him up. Instead of just taking it and getting back up like she'd expected, he took it and got back up...and leaned forward. She felt his mouth brush against hers lightly, and then he had dashed off back towards where the rest of the Matoran capsules were.

Nokama, shocked beyond belief, stared after him, then her face broke out into an even bigger smile than before.

X x X

Elsewhere...

"It's about time you woke up, Viceroy."

She gave a weak smile as she sat up, liquid from the protodermis sea lapping at her sore body. "That's not nice, Lord Makuta."

_I've been waiting for someone like you   
But now you are slipping away   
(What have you done now?)   
Why, why does fate make us suffer?   
There's a curse between us   
Between me and you._

X x X

**Author's Note: Holy jeez, that's long. 7,900 words, exactly. 28 pages. Oh my jeez. The longest single document I've ever written. And I'm DYING. Call...call Oprah. Or Zanda Waffle 07, yeah. They'll...they'll know what to do. I started writing this at...uh...1 PM yesterday, maybe? And it was finished no later than 10:11 that same day. Eesh.**

**Once again, I apologize if you didn't like this. I was just letting my imagination run with me here. Either way, I sincerely hope you DID like it. :)**

**Reviews would be LOVE.**


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